Foldable crutch



Dec. 6, 1949 o. T. SCHWEPPENHEISER 2,490,330

FOLDABLE CRUTCH Filed May 9, 1946 NVEN TOR Patented Dec. 6, 1949 TENT OFFICE Oliver T. Schweppenheiser l hiladelphia, Fa. u

Application May 9, 1946, Serial No. 668,582

1 Claim. 1

Crutches, as ordinarily constructed, are clumsy and awkward to handle when a person is getting into and out of a chair and many different types of vehicles, such as, for example trolley cars, busses, carriages and automobiles.

The object of this invention is to devise a novel construction and arrangement of a crutch which can be folded when not in use to take up but a minimum of space, and, which, when extended can be securely locked to prevent relative movement of the foldable parts.

The crutch is preferably fabricated from light weight tubular material, such as aluminum or magnesium, and has provisions for varying its over-all length to adapt it for use by persons by different heights.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as will hereinafter clearly appear, my invention comprehends a novel crutch.

It further comprehends a novel crutch comprising two main parts pivoted together to provide for their folding into a compact size which can be easily carried, and novel locking mechanism for locking the parts in their extended condition ready for use.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of it which I have found, in practice, to give satisfactory and reliable results. It is, however, to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and the invention is not limited to the exact arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein set forth.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a crutch embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away for clearness of illustration.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, showing the crutch in folded condition.

Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Figure 2 and showing more particularly the locking mechanism.

Figure 5 is a sectional detail, showing a different type of ground engaging member.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings:

The crutch has upper, tubular, side members I and 2, connected at their upper ends by a cross bar 3 having its top face concave to fit under the armpit of the user. The cross bar 3 has depending lugs 4 which have a close fit in the side members and are fixed thereto in any desired manner, for example by pins 5. A spacing bar 8, forming a hand grip, is secured to the side members by fastening devices I.

The crutch has lower, tubular, side members 8 and 9, which converge forwardly and are connected at their forward ends to 'a block of material it having any desired contour. This block II] is provided with lugs I I fixed in the side members 8 and 9 by fastening devices I2. The block If] is apertured to receive a tube I3 fixed to it by set screw I4. The tube I3 has a conventional ground engaging member I5 of cushioning material.

The upper ends of the members 3 and 9 are closed by lugs 46 depending from an U-shaped channel I? in which L-shaped locking plungers I8 and I9 are slidable. A spring 20 between the plungers tends to move the plungers outwardly into their locked position. A side of the channel I1 is cut out as at H and 22 to provide clearance for the grasping portion of the plungers. The top of the channel I! is closed by a cover 23 detachably secured to it by fastening devices 24.

The lower ends of the side members I and 2 are closed by fillers 25 having slots 26 to receive the locking plungers I8 and I9 and apertured to receive a pivot 21 which passes through the side members s and 9 and the lugs I6. The ends of the pivot are threaded to receive cap nuts 28.

If the crutch is to be used on ice, a tip 3t having a pointed end is substituted for the member I5 and has its shank screwed into a sleeve 3! in the forward end of the tube I3.

It will now be apparent that when the crutch is folded, the lower members 8 and 9 fold within the upper members I and 2 to form a flat package as shown in Figure 3, and form a very compact article for carrying or for shipping. When the parts are unfolded, the locking plungers I3 and I9 are pressed toward each other so that when I in alignment with the slots 26 and released they will enter such slots to securely lock the upper and lower section of the crutch in their extended position.

The tube I3 can be adjusted in the block Ill to provide a crutch having a desired over-all length 3 bars of the upper section and having with the upper side bars plunger receiving slots and. pivot openings, a cross member extending across the upper ends of the lower side bars and having fillers extending into the upper ends of the side bars of the lower section, a pivot member in the pivot openings and passing through the upper and lower bars and their fillers, locking plungers carried by said cross member to enter the slots in the upper side bars and their fillers, a spring tending to move the plungers into their slots, and a ground engaging member carried by said lower section.

OLIVER T. SCHWEPPENHEISER.

4 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

